The Baltimore Bayhawks will try to remain unbeaten at home when they host the Long Island Lizards at Towson University Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Baltimore, 2-0 at home and 0-3 on the road, opened the year with a 17-11 loss at Long Island. But since then, Long Island has not won while Baltimore reloaded in the collegiate draft.
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Baltimore rookie Matt Ward was wrapping up his season at the University of Virginia when the Bayhawks last played Long Island. “I get a sense from the guys that they really want this game,” Ward said.
“I know that it is a big rivalry,” added Ward, who was named the rookie of the week for his hat trick against Rochester a week ago. “When you get in these rivalry games everybody is playing 100 percent.”
The teams have met in four of the five MLL title games, and each team has won two titles.
Baltimore attackman Tom Marechek has been part of the rivalry since the beginning. “We have to do a better job on the face off,” said Marechek, referring to the last game with Long Island.
Marechek, however, was unsure if he would play tonight. The 37-year-old pulled his hamstring last Friday against Rochester, and said there was a 50 percent chance he would play today.
“We are playing with a little more cohesiveness than in the first game,” Baltimore head coach Scott Hiller said.
“We got killed that first game,” added Hiller, referring to the team?s face-off play. Hiller also pointed out that Baltimore was missing Kevin Frew (43-64 on face-offs) in the first game, but that Frew would be in the lineup this Friday.
“We have most of our pieces in place,” Hiller said. “If we can get a win, we can put ourselves in a position to make it to the playoffs.”
